Glitter and Gold
by DiamondDomain
Summary: "You're an intelligent girl, Isabella." He marveled, standing to walk away from their little log rendezvous. "Wait!" She called. "I still have questions." "I know you do and believe me I have questions for you. Our conversation is far from over."
1. Chapter One: Curveball

**Warnings:  
-OOC Bella Swan  
-OOC Merlin (not too much, he still fluffy boi at heart)**

**This is a mature story. Keep that in mind, please.**

_**Chapter One: Curveball**_

"_You're an intelligent girl, Isabella." He marveled, standing to walk away from their little log rendezvous. His cloud of cold that surrounded him moved as he did. Bella shivered; a frozen chill dancing down her spine causing her skin to break out in goosebumps and hairs to stand on end._

"_Wait!" She called, shooting up. _

_He halted his footsteps, back still to her but his head turned in her direction to show he was listening. Bella knew he only stopped because he wanted to. She couldn't make him do a damn thing._

"_I still have questions." A smirk formed on his face, noting how her voice got smaller than her call._

"_Oh, I know you do." He teased. "Believe me, I have questions for you. Our conversation is far from over."_

_Make no mistake. He was smirking to himself. But he gave a glare._

_A glare as cold as ice._

_**Months earlier…**_

_Dear mom_

Bella pushed her locker door shut, it clicking softly. She winced seeing the small dents in the side of it from where she had slammed it before. She had a few anger breaks now and again.

It was the only thing that kept her dad going. Seeing her infuriated.

_I'm lost. Edward took everything with him. Including my life._

She sat alone at lunch – again. She never missed the looks from the other kids; how could she? It was the only attention anyone ever paid to her these days outside of her father. Her teachers never called on her. Maybe they had sympathy for her. Or maybe they didn't give a fuck like her.

No, she tells a lie.

The neighbors look at her window sometimes with pity. Lovely Bob Marks and his wife. They always brought Charlie a thanksgiving turkey.

_He promised it would be like he never existed._

The emails always bounced back though. Her mother never got them, much less replied.

It was alright. Just another less person who cared.

_But I need to know he did._

Charlie – god, he was a _saint_ to her.

_It's like a huge hole has been punched through my chest…_

The number of times he came in at night, during the day, whenever and whatever. To wake her up from her nightmare where she would be screaming her lungs out. To pick her up from the floor when she was curled up, just like she was in those woods.

_But the pain is my only reminder that he was real…that they all were._

She was a disaster and she knew it. It was fucking pitiful. But did she even care anymore?

Now that was a question to ask herself. But that would send her back in her shell.

_I miss them. Especially Alice._

She hoped they were okay. Her dad would hate her if he knew, but Bella hoped with her entire soul that the Cullens were okay. Happy was farfetched for the moment in time, maybe, but 'okay' was believable. Achievable. For her, that was another story.

And she wasn't sure what the ending was. It hadn't played out yet.

If she was unlucky; maybe life would throw her another curveball.

_Time passes. Every tick that goes by…aches…_

And it did. Bella reached up, rubbing her chest, right over her heart. She missed the sad look Angela gave her across the room; the one girl she knew would stick by her side and have common sense about it. She wasn't a Labrador like Mike. Nor someone that would run when it got tough like Jess. Angela was a true soul. A lifeline.

Ben was lucky.

_Like the pulse of blood behind a bruise._

Blood.

She fucking hated it. It ruined her life. Her blood ruined her life; she ruined her own life. And look at her now; fifteen kinds of fucked up. It boiled in her veins; her head spinning just that little bit. Snatching up the bottle of water on her tray, she took a sip and dumped out the rest of her food in the bin. What a waste.

"He's not coming back, Bells." Charlie's voice drifted through her head again. She slinked into herself bag strap pushing into the crook of her neck. "He's not coming back."

Her sneakers squeaked to a stop at the door; her brows furrowing. The squeals of a dry pen on the whiteboard filling the silence of the room. Bella jumped a little at the louder thud echoed; him slamming the end of his pen in a dot at the end of his writing which she couldn't read from where she was standing. He glanced at her, his eyebrow pulling up at the arch.

"Well?" He was British. His accent was strong so Bella assumed he was fairly new to America. But she didn't recognize him. "You going to stand there all day?"

Checking the room number one more time, double-checking it was her class, Bella slid into the room her depressive cloud following with her and without a word took her seat.

_Mr. Ambrosius. _She read in his chicken scrawl and flicked her eyes back to him, he had sat down behind the desk; looking at the papers before him.

Bella would admit; he was _fucking gorgeous_. Dare she say more so than Edward. He was pale, six foot one and though skinny she could see the definition of his muscles on him under his blue button-up shirt. He had cropped black-brown hair and the most striking blue eyes Bella had seen.

"Isabella Swan." She pulled back a little bit, stunned at how he knew her name. His eyes lifted from his paper; cold and unfeeling. Staring right into her soul. "That's your name, right?" Regaining consciousness, she nodded. He sighed, dropping the paper in his hands. "It's rude not to talk when you're being spoken to. We're going to try that again. Isabella Swan, _correct?_"

"Yes, sir." Even she was surprised she caved; found her voice for the first time in four months. Her voice was raspy, from the lack of use or the screaming she couldn't tell. But his face never changed. It was still solid; set in stone.

"Better."

They sat in silence until the rest of the class came. Bella's eyes intended for the window, but it landed on him. Every time. Seeing what he was doing; looking at papers, shuffling things around, even looking at his phone. It filled up quickly, the people around her buzzing at the new presence in her room. Typically, the girls couldn't take their eyes off him, the boys murmuring to themselves. Bella was just thankful there was no attention on her anymore.

"Afternoon." He greeted. Bella could have sworn she heard squeals from the girls and, even to her own surprise she rolled her eyes. His accent just mixed with the low tenor, he was going to be _harassed_ in this town. "My name is Mr. Ambrosius. And I'm your new history teacher…"

"Homework assignment; find a member of history that intrigues you and write a paper on it." He didn't need to shout to be heard as the class gathered their thing the moment the bell let out its shrill ring. They filled out; crowd by crowd, then pairs, then singles until there were only a few left. Merlin narrowed his eyes; looking up and seeing Bella was one of those still gathering her stuff.

Isabella Swan.

It was a name befitting for someone like her. Five-foot four, almost translucent skin, thick and long dark brown luscious mahogany locks. She had a heart-shaped face, doe chocolate brown pools for eyes, a thin nose and prominent cheekbones with full lips and a slim jawline. Merlin wasn't afraid to say that she filled out in all the right places. Strong hips, skinny, broader shoulders but a slim waist and she _absolutely_ filled out in the ass department; her chest smaller than average but still lustful. An elegant name for an elegant woman.

"Miss Swan." He called to her when the other last student had left the room. She looked up, her eyes widening at surprise at being called upon. Merlin chuckled to himself on the inside; she looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Hold on a moment." He wandered over, pushing the door shut, locking it and pulling down the blind. He smirked hearing her gulp but than vanished as he turned around, strayed towards her and leaned on the desk before hers with his crossed arms. "I appreciate good manners, Miss Swan. You understand that, don't you?" She swallowed and nodded feverishly. Merlin saw per pale skin restrict with the action and cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh." She whispered, catching her mistake. "Yes, sir. Sorry." He waved a hand in dismissal.

"I don't know what made you go all…" He gestured to her. It was glaringly obvious to him about little bits that would be impossible for him to miss during his little check out session. "and I don't particularly care for it. What I care about is behavior in my class. From what I've seen, you've got a squeaky-clean record." He stood, leaning forward just that little bit but it was enough. She stammered, plump cheeks flushing rosy pink and breathing picking up in speed. As his breath washed over her face; hers washed over his along with his natural scent. Strawberries and summer. So sweet. "We'd hate for that to get ruined now, wouldn't we?"

"…Yes sir." He could feel the breath of her talking; spluttering unevenly across his face.

"Glad we got that across." And he pushed away back to his desk, waving towards the door and not even blinking as she shuffled towards it with her head bowed low. The lock clicked open. "Until next time, Miss Swan." But she was already gone. He chuckled to himself, dark smirk and shadow hovering over his eyes, staring right at the whiteboard he was facing.

_Lion and the Lamb indeed._

**Bonjourno, I do hope you enjoyed. And since you made it to the end; imma cut a deal with you. Every person who leaves a review will get a preview of the next chapter. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter Two: Manners

**Chapter Two: Manners**

The weekend was something Bella not necessarily dreaded; just something she never really looked forward to. It was boring. There was nothing to do, no one to talk to. She'd just sit in the rocking chair and look out of her window, but she couldn't really tell you why. Maybe it was the memories or the silly little hope that he would just appear at the windowsill; at least that's what Charlie presumed.

"I don't get why are there so many zombie movies." The brunette found herself commenting as her and Jess pushed the doors to the movie theatre out of their path.

That was something new. Bella was talking for once. _'It's rude not to talk when you're being spoken to._' There was that voice again. His accent, the deep rumble under every syllable. She just couldn't get it out of her head. '_I appreciate good manners, Miss Swan._'

"It's, like a metaphor? For crass consumerism or something." Bella only side glanced at her companion.

She couldn't quite yet pass a judgement on Mr. Ambrosius. He was intimidating, looming over her as he stood, she couldn't get that snapshot out of her mind; him leaning over. The waft of warm, mint breath glossing over her skin. He was cold and unforgiving, his eyes that cobalt blue like a stormy day. He was her teacher. Did she like him? Did she hate him?

Or was she simply terrified out of hers skin?

That was a humorous thought. She flocked to vampires. And her new teacher scared the crap out of her.

Either way, he got her to talk again.

"Not that you'd know anything about consuming." Jess scoffed. "You didn't buy anything today."

"I bought something."

"Socks don't count." It was tense between the two. You could cut the air with a knife. "'Course, I was surprised you even called.

"I've been kind of…out of it."

That was putting it mildly.

"Kind of?" Jess scoffed, looking at the brunette incredulous. "I mean, at first I was worried. Then I'm like, okay, she's still bumming? It's not like I wasn't going through things, too. Like Mike deciding he wanted to 'just be friends'? That was really hard and –"

"How 'bout a ride, girls?"

As Bella looked across the street, time could have stopped. Or at least it felt like it. There was four rough-looking guys, loitering out from of the dive bar opposite next to their motorcycles. They were hidden in the shadows; faces cloaked in darkness.

She blinked at the familiarity of the situation.

Only this time; Edward wouldn't show up in his silver Volvo to whisk her away.

One foot pushed before the other. She found herself deaf to Jess' arguments. Even shaking off her arm.

_Maybe_, her mind begged. _Just maybe. He'll turn up._

And she gets closer to them, step by step. Stride by stride. He'll turn up. Maybe he'll turn up. _If I just-_

"Move along, fellas." Her body froze up. No, that wasn't the voice she wanted to hear. It wasn't musical like a piano melody. And yet her shoulders still sagged in relief; it was dark and dangerous but like someone had wrapped their arms around her from behind and put their head on top of hers. It almost felt like their entire back was pressed up against hers. Bella gasped; feeling a cold, defined and work calloused hand wrap around her slim wrist in a tight grip. _Oh shit. He was there_. "She want's nothing from you." The main biker shrugged, flicking his cigarette on the concreate.

"Suit yourself." The four straddled their bikes and revved off. Bella let out a breath she hadn't even realised she was holding and blinked.

He saved her from herself.

Why would he do that?

She stumbled at the quick, yet hard, tug on her arm from _him_.

"Miss Stanley." He greeted, coming up to the schoolgirl who stammered in response. Bella blinked, her breathing uneven as her eyes could only process her clothed legs and shoes. "I think I got it from here. Are you alright getting home alone?"

"A-alright."

"Thank you." Jess went right, and the other two went left. She still never lifted her eyes from the pavement. The crevice's of the pavement seeming more intriguing than the thunder she would be facing if she looked up. But apparently; she didn't get a choice. A gasp escaped the brunette, feeling cold brick slam right up to her back. "_What _the _hell_ were you thinking?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Look at me!"

And, again, she had no choice.

A pale, cold hand was thrust in her line of sight. He pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger, shoving her head up to look right at him.

His features were striking in the low-level light from the one dingey street lamp, a glowing orange causing his skin to reflect the pale pasty white shade he normally supported. The dark shadows of his cheekbones defined looking almost hollow. The black abyss colour of his eyebrows and hair matched the shade. Those same eyebrows were pulled down, creasing his forehead with his pale lips pulled back in a snarl.

And his eyes.

Holy fuck those _eyes._

They were a lightning storm hurricane and for the first time, Bella saw something other than stone-cold annoyance in his eyes. The swirling tendrils of _infuriation_.

"_Answer me!_" He demanded. His voice was almost demonic. Yet, a cry never escaped her.

"I don't know." She whispered, her voice quieter than a pin drop before everything suddenly hit calm. Her breathing evened out immediately and blinked up at her teacher. How did he know where she was? "Are you stalking me?"

But she didn't get her answer as the world became dark to her immediately.

He laid her limp and lifeless body on the plump leather couch of his one-person apartment with care, making sure her head was supported as he looked over every visible inch of her pale skin. No injuries. She was probably more shaken than anything. The corner of his lips turned up; flashing a twinkle from his pearly whites as he remembered her feverishly spat out question before she dropped. Stalking her; bold of her to presume so...yet, not entirely incorrect but oh so off the mark.

He was wandering through Port Angeles when he saw them; Jessica Stanley and Isabella Swan among the shopping streets. But he didn't just see them. Merlin's entire stature tightened and straightened up and tensed.

The ladies weren't alone.

And Bella was walking closer and closer to some less than friendly looking men; Jessica calling out behind her. But Bella was taking no notice, almost like she was in a trance. Merlin growled under his breath.

"_Stupid_." He hissed; pacing over to the brunette in long strides. The gleams of light faded away in his sight as he focused solely on her. The elegance in her movements, no matter how weighed and dragged down they seemed to be. Closer and closer and closer. Before he shot his hand out and latched it around her wrist.

He was surprised to feel raised indentation under her smooth skin; indented in little circular chunks and raised where her veins would normally be. His back pushed up against hers, breathing in her beautiful smell of strawberries and green apples from her hair. The curve of the small of her back flush against his front; like a jigsaw piece.

Even now, sitting in his extra leather seat, the enticing smell fogging up his brain. Closing his eyes, he shook his head; attempting to clear it as he sipped from the glass of water in his hand as he faced the now-empty couch she was laid across.

And still then; she was a sight to see. Her beautiful brown eyes shielded from view by her sleep. She looked peaceful but still, even in sleep, like she was carrying the weight of the world. Doe eyes circled in dark blue and black, cheeks sunken in, sweet lips cracked and chapped from presumably a lack of water. He cringed; it didn't suit her.

Not one bit.

Her father came to pick her up a little while ago; thankful for his help.

Merlin groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Isabella Swan.

She was beautiful, striking, an enigma. Broken yet oh so perfect.

And still his student.

_Fucking student._

**There we go! Chapter two up as fast as I can get it. I know my chapters are fairly short but they should get longer when we get into the nitty-gritty of things. Remember to follow, favourite and review if you want your next chapter preview!**

**Thank you!**

**-Crystal Queen of the Diamond Domain**


	3. Chapter Three: Fight

**Chapter Three: Fight**

So, Port Angeles was something Jess wasn't letting go anytime soon. She started sitting with her old friends again and got quite the verbal lashing from Eric and Mike when Jess had run her mouth about what had happened. Not that Bella had taken any notice.

Even sitting in the back of Mr. Ambrosius' class, she could hear Jess yammering on about it to her desk neighbor and they were on the other side of the room but Bella couldn't care less. Her chocolate brown eyes watched the teacher with scrutiny as he paced in front of the board; lecturing of the sixth century England in such detail she had only ever heard from the Cullen Patriarch; with _experience._

But he wasn't a vampire. His eyes – albeit gorgeous – were not gold or red and the colour of them had far too much detail to be contacts. His skin was warm to the touch, pale? Yes. But not alabaster and it was cushioned just like human flesh apart from the muscles of his arms Bella had felt hugging her when she collapsed that night.

Charlie was not happy when she got back, having been called by the teacher. She wasn't going to lie, she felt bad.

After a long talk, Charlie made it explicitly obvious this was her very last straw before Jacksonville and she was skating on paper-thin ice with the balance of Bambi and weight of the Hulk. Any moment it would collapse, and she would be swallowed whole.

And honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted. She wasn't sure what was making her hold on.

The bell let out its shrill scream and this time, Bella didn't waste any time in leaping up. She didn't want to be in here anymore. Maybe she could convince the nurse she was-

"Miss Swan." _Fuck no_. She stilled to a complete stop before the teacher's desk. He pulled her back _again_. Was he really stalking her? He was absolutely acting like it. "Hold back for a moment. I need to have a word with you." Her eyes turned to him, raising a questioning eyebrow as his eyes slid to a narrow. He glided to his feet, stalking over to the door and throwing it shut with the regular routine of locking it and lowering the shades.

It was when he turned around, Bella felt like the floor was fallen out right from under her again. The similar feeling of her heavy breaths, his infuriated glare. She felt caged. She would say like she was against a lion but he was far more majestic than that. He was like a dragon, and she the mouse. Her hands trembled.

"You never answered my question, Isabella." His voice was somehow even lower – damn near demonic shadows hovering over his eyes and hiding them from the world. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? Your father is the police chief so I doubt he forgot to express the term 'stranger danger' to you."

"No." She gulped; her mouth as dry as her throat. Like a desert. "He didn't-"

"Then _what were you doing?!_" He moved as fast as a vampire; stood right before her with his arms and pale hands clamped around her biceps. Bella let out a little squeak; truly sounding like a mouse, his grip surely leaving bruises tomorrow. "Well?"

"I don't know!" Fell from her trembling lips, her head hanging in shame with her eyes squeezed shut but it didn't stop the salty streams slipping through the cracks. "I don't know!"

"Not good enough!"

"I'm sorry!" She cried, a sob finally escaping her that she held down right to the bottom of her lungs. There was a moment between the two of them, Bella squinting into the darkness from behind her eyelids searching for something – the only sound between them was their shared raggedy breaths. The vices were lifted from her arms. She couldn't help it. She had to look.

His dark brows furrowed, bright blue pools watching her. Analyzing her. And yet again it was something Bella had never seen before on him – sadness. He wasn't angry like before or even disappointed like she expected. He was sad. His lips turned down in the ever graceful little frown with a gap, allowing his wet warm breath to escape.

"Where is your fight?"

She only blinked at him; broken. He didn't want to ask the obvious question and she didn't answer.

_Who took it from you?_

He swallowed the frog in his throat, spinning on his heel and pacing towards the door. It clicked open. And he hid behind his desk yet again.

"See you next class, Miss Swan."

It took her a moment for her feet to respond, carrying herself as fast as they could to the door. She stopped when her hand made contact with the golden handle and turned her head back to him.

He was pensive. Hunched over his clenched hands that pressed against his lips, staring into nothingness before him. She observed herself, her entire figure trembling like an unexploded emotional volcano, her breathing still running rampant and heart going a hundred dozen. Sweat trickled down her back in a singular bead simply by watching him.

"What are you doing to me?"

He looked up.

But she was gone before he could answer.

It wasn't until later that Bella let herself feel again after that. In the comfort and safety of her room, far away from _him_. A shaking breath escaped her as she stood before the mirror in the corner of the room. '_Where is your fight?'_ His voice was there again. Not Edwards- but her own teachers. Everything he said always stuck with her. Her tearful eyes looking over her figure, practically now skin and bones. The hollows of her cheeks were deep, dark circles surrounding her red-rimmed eyes. She sniffled again, daring to do what she had been covering since Phoenix.

With a twig thin arm, she reached over to her left wrist, pulling up the sleeve and gently taking the end of the black tied bandana within her paper fingertips. And slowly she pulled away.

"Holy shit!"

It had gotten worse. So much worse.

The natural blue and purple of her veins in her arms were gone – replaced with a black, tar thick looking substance chugging lazily under her skin. She could see them moving, pulsating from the end of her hand to the end of her 'I survived a vampire attack' badge. It pooled around each of the teeth indents. Bella used her right hand to cover her mouth – feeling her dinner wanting to make an appearance again.

She wrapped the bandana around it so it was hugging the bite in a tight knot that it could have cut off her circulation to her wrist.

This can't be happening.

This can't be happening.

_No. Fucking. Way._

**This one is really short I am so sorry but don't worry. As I said, when we get into the New Moon storyline, the chapters will meaten themselves up and it's not too far away. There is a perfect moment I have in mind and it's coming up very soon. So, like always, review the chapter to get a sneak peek of chapter four! Thanks guys! =-]**

**-Crystal Queen of the Diamond Domain. x**


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